
While Children Are A Relatively Unchanging Fact Of Life, Childhood Is A Constantly Shifting Concept. Throughout The Millennia, The Age At Which A Child Becomes A Youth And A Youth Becomes An Adult Has Varied By Gender, Class, Religion, Ethnicity, Place, And Economic Need. As Author James Marten Explores In This Very Short Introduction, So Too Have The Realities Of Childhood, Each Life Shaped By Factors Such As Education, Expectation, And Conflict (or Lack Thereof). Indeed, Ancient Roman Children Lived Very Differently Than Those Born Of Today's Generation Z. Experiences Of Childhood Have Been Shaped In Classrooms And On Factory Floors, In Family Homes And Orphanages, And On Battlefields And In Front Of Television Sets. In Addressing This Diversity, The History Of Childhood: A Very Short Introduction Takes A Global, Expansive View Of The Features Of Childhood That Have Shaped Childhood Throughout History And Continue To Shape It Now. From The Rules Of Confucian Childrearing In Twelfth-century China To The Struggles Of Children Living As Slaves In The Americas Or As Cotton Mill Workers In Industrial Age Britain, Marten Takes His Inspiration From The Idea That The Lives Of Children Reveal Important And Sometimes Uncomfortable Truths About Civilization. About The Series: The Very Short Introductions Series From Oxford University Press Contains Hundreds Of Titles In Almost Every Subject Area. These Pocket-sized Books Are The Perfect Way To Get Ahead In A New Subject Quickly. Our Expert Authors Combine Facts, Analysis, Perspective, New Ideas, And Enthusiasm To Make Interesting And Challenging Topics Highly Readable.
This book investigates how the concept of childhood has evolved as a social construct across diverse cultures and historical eras. James Marten, a professor of history, utilizes a global comparative framework to analyze how economic, religious, and political factors define the boundaries of childhood. By examining the shifting expectations placed upon youth throughout the millennia, the author argues that the treatment of children serves as a primary indicator of a civilization's values and structural priorities.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts recognize this work as a concise and accessible entry point for students and general readers interested in the history of childhood. Readers frequently note that the prose is highly readable while maintaining an academic rigor appropriate for the Oxford Very Short Introductions series.
Page Count:
160
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019068139X
ISBN-13:
9780190681395
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